The Vampire's Amulet
by vampiretrees
Summary: Monsters...vampires...a mysterious amulet...what more could you want in a story? Please PLEASE review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Dare

Transylvania, July 16th

It was nearly midnight. Clouds hung low over the vampire's castle. The full moon was hidden in the eerie gray fog around the castle itself. A considerable number of people quickly gathered around the castle's north tower. The people were shouting and carrying torches with flames dancing fiercely, illuminating the peoples' angry and terrified faces. A man in a long dark coat stood at the front of the mob, and glint in his small brown eyes. His black hair whipped around his face as the chill wind blew. He held up a gloved hand to the crowd, who immediately became quiet. Up at the castle, a shadowed figure had appeared in the window. From down below, nobody could tell who (or what) it was. The mob slowly backed into the nearby forest, and became hidden in the large oak trees.

The shadow belonged to a girl. The girl's name was Andrea. She had waist-length black hair that shone in the candlelight of the room. Her skin was pale and soft. Andrea's eyes were a blood red color, and she had black slits for pupils. She wore a long, black cape with black pants, and a ruby red shirt that seemed to shimmer when she moved.

Andrea stared down at the angry mob. She immediately knew why they were here. In fact, it was her fault they were here.

A few months earlier, Andrea was a normal teenager. She lived in the village below the castle. She had a family; her mother, father, and her little brother named Joseph. Joseph was four years younger than Andrea, with sandy hair and blue eyes. He had freckles and almost always scowled. He was very spoiled. One day, Andrea and her friend, Hannah, were playing truth or dare. Joseph invited himself in and dared them both to go up to the castle on the hill. It was rumored to be the home of a vampire, and no one had been in there for thousands of years. The girls accepted, and nervously walked up to the castle. The most there could be was probably a couple rats or spiders, right?

They couldn't be more wrong. It took them several hours to make it up the steep cliff the castle rested on. As they finally stepped up to the castle door, something occurred to Andrea. "What do you think we'll find in there? No one's been here for thousands of years, what if there's something great in there?"

Hannah's eyes widened. "Are you mad? The dare was to go in. So, I say we go in, come out, and get back at your brother before some spider crawls up my leg!" Hannah was terrified of spiders. Andrea, however, was fascinated by everything most people found scary. Andrea grinned, and Hannah realized what a stupid mistake she had just made. They tried to pull open the tall, oak doors, but to know avail. Andrea rushed to the other side of the castle, and found a window, just big enough for someone thin to enter.

"I don't think I'll fit," Hannah said. She wasn't the smallest person in Transylvania. "You go in." Andrea nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said. "And when I do get in, I'll be sure to open the door for you so you won't get all lonely outside." She smirked. Hannah whimpered. Andrea opened the window and darted inside.

The room was amazing! A long red carpet led to the stone stairs to Andrea's left. A crystal chandelier, covered in cobwebs lit the room from the high ceiling. The dusty stone floor echoed with every step Andrea took. Dusty pillars lined the wall in front of Andrea. In between each pillar on the wall was a portrait of a random person Andrea did not recognize. The only similarity between each person was each wore an amulet with a ruby sun at the end. Andrea sprinted toward the door of the castle, when the lights of the chandelier went out. A breeze blew through the room, although the windows were closed. Andrea could feel her hair fly behind her. The room grew cold, and darker than ever.

"Hannah?" she called. "Hannah get in here!" Nobody replied. Andrea felt her way along the wall until she found the window. The sky outside was dark and cloudy. Hannah was nowhere to be found. Andrea called Hannah's name again, when she felt something cold and rough wrap itself around her neck. First, Andrea's eyes began to water, and then everything went completely black.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: 

Andrea's eyes fluttered open. She had a splitting headache and she felt blood rushing to her head. She looked down, and realized she had been chained by her ankles upside down to a grimy stone wall, about twenty feet from the floor. She tried to shake herself free, only loosening the old rusty nails from the wall. Obviously, she'd rather be chained upside down than have her head cracked open. She looked up (well, technically it's down, but you get the idea) and saw the floor far below her. Rat skeletons littered the floor, along with pieces of parchment and several large stones. A large metal door sat silently at the ground.

All of a sudden, the door creaked open on its hinges. A tall man stepped in, looked up, and smirked. He had long black hair tied into a ponytail behind him, and he wore a long leather jacket with silver fastenings. He had blood-red eyes that shone in the dim light of the room. He also wore the same amulet with the sun as the people in the paintings in the entrance hall.

"Hello Andrea," he said. His voice was low and mysterious. "Having fun?" He walked around the floor below her, kicking the litter out of his way.

"H-how do you know m-my name?" Andrea asked. She wasn't scared of this sort of thing happening in movies or books, but now that she was inside the story, things felt much worse. She asked the next question that came to mind. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled. "I know of many things. I know where you live. I know everyone you know. And," he paused. "I know where Hannah is."

Andrea couldn't breathe. It felt like this man had been stalking her and she just discovered it now. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, and her legs began to twitch. Her head began to spin. All the blood flowing to her head wasn't helping the situation. She wanted to scream because of the pain, but stayed firm. At least, for now. The man paced around the room again, periodically looking up at Andrea.

"Where's Ha-Hannah?" she asked, tears rolling down her forehead, dripping onto the filthy floor. The man looked up.

"You'll see her soon enough. Now, let me introduce myself. My name is James Von Rosa," he gave a sarcastic little bow. "Now, I have an option for you, rather than hang here for several more hours dying of pain and misery."

Andrea winced. She lost the feeling in her legs, but could see them shaking. Her head felt numb with fear. Von Rosa walked directly under her head and gazed upward at her.

"Your friend Hannah is in a situation almost as bad as yours," he continued. "But I'm giving you a chance she will never have. Her life will depend on your decision, so I think this through if I were you."

Andrea's heart beat faster. Anger and hatred flashed in her eyes like lightning. "What? Where is she? Tell me!"

She shook the chains violently. One of rusty brown bolts wriggled out of place, and Andrea's right leg dangled freely, to the side. Von Rosa laughed hysterically, amused by Andrea's rage. She screamed and hung still, praying that the other bolt would support her.

"I see we need to learn to learn how to control our temper now, hmmm? Well, if you would like to see what happens to Hannah, you will need to keep it. Or down will come Andrea, manacles and all!" Von Rosa laughed at his pun. Andrea breathed heavily, but tried to listen. "Now listen carefully, as I am only going to say this once. Hannah is unconscious right now somewhere in my castle. Now, either you sit here and die, or you can go and find her. Which do you choose?"

Andrea paused. There had to be a loophole somewhere, it was too easy. She'd give anything to see Hannah alive, given the circumstances she was in…

"I'll go look for her."

Von Rosa's pale face widened as he smiled malevolently. "Excellent…" He snapped his fingers and, in a second, the other chain broke free, and Andrea was falling, as if in slow motion, to the ground. When she reached the ground moments later she stared up at Von Rosa. His blood-red eyes shone with evil as his lips curled into a crooked half-smile. He opened the heavy door and beckoned to Andrea, who finally had the feeling in her legs return, and she followed.


	3. Chapter 3

HI PEOPLE! Yeah, I'm finally writing something on fanfiction! Woohoo! Yeah, cat's usually the one who writes stories, so this is one of the few I, Johnny, will write. You're gonna find out what Von Rosa really wants here, and why Andrea is a vampire (from the VERY beginning…) man, I'm hyper right now… anywho, on with the story!

Chapter Three

Von Rosa led Andrea through a maze of stone walls and corridors. Each twist and turn looked exactly alike, and Andrea grew dizzy from the walking. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and the taste of dust lingered in Andrea's mouth. She regretted ever taking this dare more than ever. After about half an hour of walking, Von Rosa stopped. His red eyes blinked slowly, as if in a slow-motion replay. Andrea's heart beat faster in her chest, and her breathing sped up. Von Rosa smiled innocently and broke the eerie silence.

"Have any idea where Hannah may be?" he asked. Andrea shook her head "no". She wasn't even sure she'd find the exit to this castle. Von Rosa's lip twitched slightly. "You'll find her… someday."

All of a sudden the pair arrived at a stone set of stairs. Von Rosa pointed up to the dark and drafty top, and pushed Andrea forward. After nearly tripping onto stone steps, Andrea rushed up the stairway, with Von Rosa laughing spitefully. The stairs spiraled up a tower. Once or twice Andrea was sure she passed a window, but if she tried to escape she'd fall six or seven stories and leave Hannah. Andrea's legs ached, and she had an immense headache from the spinning staircase that never seemed to end. Finally, after what felt like hours on end, Andrea reached the top. Tears of pain mingled with sweat as she collapsed onto the stone floor. She laid there for several minutes crying, her long hair spread out like an eagle's wings. A soft moaning woke Andrea from her misery. She lifted her head, hoping that Hannah was alive.

"Hannah?" she called. "Hannah!" With a burst of energy she ran through the room. It was large and circular. Three oak doors lined up on the wall. The moaning was louder. The door in the middle had a poem painted onto it in fancy blue letters:

_Pick a door, just one of three_

_Only one hides what you seek._

_But be careful, don't choose badly,_

_Two of three will end you sadly._

_One hides lies, the other danger,_

_Pick the one that you will wager._

_But stay aware, do not take heed,_

_Of the lies in one of three._

Andrea read the poem over several times, until the poem disappeared. The door was blank and looked exactly like the others, from each iron doorknob to the long crack on the side. Andrea stared at the doors, knowing she heard Hannah's soft voice. It was at that moment the moaning echoed through the room again.

"_An…drea…help me…ohhh…"_

Andrea's head was spinning. It sounded as though it came from the door on the right. But what if that's what the poem meant? Was that the lie it was talking about? She didn't want to take the chance, but it sounded so much like Hannah…

She didn't want to take the chance. She wasn't going to gamble with lives at stake, although it seemed the only choice. Andrea paced around the room, occasionally staring up at the doors, trying to ignore the moaning from the door on the right. She walked up to the middle door, and tried to press her ear to it, but it felt as if it were made of hot metal! Her ear was a pinkish color and burned badly. She tried to touch the left door but a flash of static electricity zapped her fingers. Her long elegant fingers were nearly singed. She didn't want to risk injury for the right door, but crept up to it slowly. The moaning had been replaced by screaming! Andrea's mind went numb. She could get electrocuted, burned, or risked taking the door with lies. The weight of her choice rested heavily on her shoulders, and made her want to cry all over again. She stood up straight and chose the door that had burnt her ear. Using her good hand, she lightly grasped the handle, scorching her hand, and pushed the heavy door open with her shoulder. Her T-shirt ripped and blackened from the heat, and her arm was red. The door opened, and she stared at what she saw.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Andrea's eyes widened. A large marble ballroom sat before her, with tall glass windows that reached the ceiling. A long oak table was at the far wall, piled high with the world's finest delicacies; piles of cookies of all sorts sat at one end, ice cream and candy filled the other. Almost as sudden as Andrea stepped into the room, a large number of people dressed in elegant dresses and outfits danced onto the marble floor. Each and every one wore a mask, decorated with pieces of gold, silver, and peacock feathers. An orchestra on the other corner of the room played a waltz, while everyone danced simultaneously. Woman gracefully waltzed around the room, holding hands with men twirling them in circles that made Andrea dizzy. This was definitely not what Andrea had expected. She was almost certain there was going to be a giant three-headed snake with long venomous fangs, or a giant squid with twisting tentacles that could crush a car. She definitely didn't expect a masquerade ball.

As she quietly stepped forward, looking odd compared to everyone else, in her T-shirt and jeans and long ponytail, a young man stepped up to her. He had short brown hair that was neatly parted in the middle. He wore a cream colored shirt that was tucked into black pants. He had a gold mask decorated in silver lace and glossy golden spirals. A piece of silver was fastened onto the center of his mask. Bright green eyes were hidden behind it.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked in a soft tone. He extended a hand. It looked warm and inviting compared to everything Andrea had seen earlier. She stared at his hand for a moment, and took it.

The couple walked onto the dance floor, and as if unconsciously, started to waltz. Andrea paid no attention to the music and her surroundings, until about half an hour later. She noticed that no matter how long she danced with this mysterious boy, she never grew tired. In fact, it felt as if she never wanted to stop dancing. She felt as if she could dance forever. The music grew faster and louder, along with the dancing. Andrea stared down at her feet for a moment, and realized that she had no control over them. They seemed to move in the correct steps automatically. She tried to stop, to no benefit. Her feet seemed to be remote controlled. She looked up at the boy and was about to ask if they could stop, when he held his hand to her lips. His green eyes blinked slowly, and with his other hand he reached up to remove his mask.

The mask fell to the floor, and the music and dancing stopped. All eyes were on Andrea and her partner. Andrea stared around at every person laying eyes on her. She was about to say something until she looked at the boy's face. It was no longer attractive and eye-catching, but long and shedding. His skin seemed to fall off his face in layers, until it reached the bottom layer. His skin went from peach to light gray, his green eyes a dusty orange with dark slits, and he grew long, three-inch fangs from his upper jaw. His shirt was torn, and his nails had grown immensely. Andrea couldn't breathe. Soon, the entire crowd transformed into the forbidding, fiendish creatures. Andrea started backing up, until she tripped onto one end of the long table of food. Desserts flew everywhere, ice cream flew into the demons' faces, gumdrops rained over the orchestra, and sugar cookies soared into the crystal chandelier.

Andrea took this short instant to dash toward the front door. But the demons were as fast as they were ugly. Several of the demons were up at the door preventing Andrea from going near it. The boy she had been dancing with began to roar and snarl severely, his mouth beginning to foam. His orange eyes gleamed in the moonlight. Andrea could see his nails sharpening and growing. Soon, a crowd of the demons had gathered around her, leaving her nowhere to go…


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about that last message. I said you'd find out what Von Rosa wants and what this has to do with the Andrea at the beginning of the story. I decided to move that at the last minute, so it'll probably be in this chapter or the next chapter, depending on how lazy I am. This chapter is also going to be longer than the others.  anywho, on with the demon-y death-y scene!

Chapter Five:

The demons were inching closer to Andrea. She could feel their hot breath on her face, reeking of dead animals and blood. She started to cringe in fear. _This is the end…_ she thought. _I'm going to be eaten, Hannah will die, and my family will grieve over my death. _Andrea felt warm tears roll down her cheek as she thought of her family. They had no idea where she was, no idea what kind of trouble she was in, and no way to find out what was happening to her this instant.

Abruptly, something flew quickly around the ballroom, snuffing the candles in the cake-covered chandelier. The room went dark, and the demons turned around for a moment. Their orange eyes glowed as they tried to locate the unexpected flying creature. Andrea took a chance, a dove right into several of the demons, knocking quite a few demons over each other. Soon, everyone in the entire ballroom was toppling over each other like dominoes. The flying object was too large to be a bird or a bat. It had large, black, leathery wings that soared across the room. That's all Andrea was able to see, as the demons were quickly standing up again. Andrea ran to one of the tall windows and began to climb the curtains.

"It's just like in P.E. class, climbing the rope, only I'm being pursued by fanged demons!" she said aloud.

She inched up the curtain, sat up at the top on the rail, and yanked off the curtain to stop the demons from coming after her. The other windows were too far to jump from, so there was no way the demons could reach her. However, now there was no way to get down. Suddenly, the giant, winged creature swooped over Andrea's head, nearly knocking her off balance. The creature flew by again, and this time, Andrea did lose her balance. Her feet slipped off the bar and she felt herself plummeting to her doom. Air rushed into her face, blowing her hair back. Her stomach felt as if a bomb had exploded inside it. She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting the deadly fall. Opening one eye she spotted the demons reaching up to slice her with their claws. Andrea's heart sped up, along with her fall…

Andrea woke up. She wasn't in the ballroom anymore. She was sure she was dead, until she felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck. By instinct, she shot her hand to her neck, and felt hot blood oozing out. She tried to gasp, but it hurt to breathe, so she tried to slow her breathing. Ripping the sleeve of her T-shirt, Andrea made a temporary bandage to wrap around her neck. She blinked her bleary eyes. She was in another dungeon, laying on a large rock. Andrea couldn't see clearly, but there appeared to be someone else in the room. Her heart leapt…_Hannah! _Hannah was unconscious, laid on the cold stone floor. Hannah's eyes were closed, and her mouth was open a crack. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail with a piece of frayed rope. Andrea tried to get up to wake Hannah, but apparently had a broken leg. She looked down at her leg. A strange, purple herb was sitting on it, and her leg was wrapped in a strange cloth. Andrea laid back, and stared at the high ceiling. A barred opening closed the top. Vines crept in through the bars. Andrea could make out the pink and purple sky indicating sunrise. Slowly turning her head she saw there were no doors or windows.

"Hannah?" Andrea muttered. It took a lot of strength to get the word out. "Wake…up, Hannah."

Miraculously, Hannah stirred. She turned her head, facing Andrea's direction, and cracked her big blue eyes open. Hannah tried to speak, but no words came out. She smiled weakly, then frowned.

"Von Rosa…" she murmured. Andrea would have hugged her friend if her leg wasn't broken.

The pair stared at each other, on the verge of fainting, when the wall moved. It seemed to ripple like water, rolling around the tower like small waves. Von Rosa stepped in through the wall, wearing his usual black coat and boots, hair tied into a ponytail.

"Aww…how charming, the humans have found each other and are smiling across the room," he said. Then he scoffed. "Dispicable."

He stepped over Andrea's leg and strode over to Hannah. He smirked, bent down, and whispered something in her ear that made her want to scream, but Andrea could see by the look in her eyes that she couldn't. Von Rosa stood up again, and grabbed Andrea by the collar of her torn T-shirt.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" he asked. Andrea stared, not knowing what this man could do to her. He dragged her through the wall. The last thing Andrea saw before walking through the cool surface was Hannah's scared eyes, and her lip trembling as if she wanted to say something important.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm getting to the vampire thing, don't worry…this is just going slower than I thought. Sorry this chapter took longer, I've been busy with school, homework, religious ed, homework, birthday party for my sis, homework…did I mention I've had TONS of HOMEWORK?

Chapter Six:

The flowing sensation of walking through the dungeon wall was over quickly. Andrea was still being dragged by her shirt collar by Von Rosa. Her leg still hurt, and was bent in an awkward angle now that she looked at it upright. Von Rosa hauled Andrea down another series of corridors. Being brave, Andrea decided to talk to Von Rosa.

"Why do you want to kill me?" she asked. She realized how stupid this statement was, but it was too late to take it back. Von Rosa laughed and smiled evilly.

"It's a very long story, involving more than you know. I'm a vampire. You and your filthy human kind down there are basically my food supply. I drink your blood, you leave me be. Now, after thousands of years, a human has disrupted my peace! For that you will pay!" Von Rosa roared. He pulled Andrea's face an inch from his. "Fresh blood is all a vampire needs to live, and you will do nicely. This isn't like all those vampire movies and legends, this is real. Vampires don't bite people and they turn into one of us. They _die._"

Andrea's eyes widened. Her throat tightened, and her heart raced through her body, making her leg hurt worse than ever. Von Rosa dropped Andrea on her broken leg. She nearly felt it poke out of the skin. She dropped her head to the floor, writhing in pain. Von Rosa laughed, picked her up again, and dragged her sharply down the corridor.

After moving through several more halls and turns, Von Rosa stopped at a large iron door. It was gleaming, as though recently polished, with a silver handle on the right side. Von Rosa threw the heavy door open effortlessly and tossed Andrea in. Andrea wanted to scream, but her throat seemed to close as she was hurtling through the air. Finally, she hit a wall on the other side of the room, knocking the breath out of her. She felt as if she'd never breathe again, until another man stepped into the room. Andrea's breath returned, and she gasped roughly. The man was shorter than Von Rosa, with soft brown eyes and dark brown hair. His face was smudged with dust. He wore a filthy gray shirt with a collar and black buttons running down the front. It was messily tucked into some black pants that were ripped at the knees. Andrea stared as the young man stepped in. He had to be a few years older then her, like sixteen or seventeen.

"Daniel here will take care of you until the time is right," Von Rosa said as he silently glided into the room. "Then I will come and retrieve you, and you will be taken to the Coffin Room." Von Rosa pulled the door shut and walked away. Daniel and Andrea sat wordlessly, listening to the sounds of the vampire's footsteps as he walked down the hall. Andrea poked a spider that scuttled across the floor. Her broken leg was still bent awkwardly.

"Let me help you with that," said Daniel, eyeing Andrea's broken leg. He took out a roll of cloth from his pocket. "I usually get a finger or two broken down here as well." He held up his left hand. A few of his fingers were wrapped with the bandages. Carefully, he helped Andrea bandage her leg. Andrea winced as he tightened the knot when he was finished. Andrea smiled, and played with the spider some more.

"What's Von Rosa going to do with me?" she asked after ten minutes or so. "What's the Coffin Room?"

Daniel hung his head. Then he whispered, "You don't want to know, but you're going to find out anyway." He sighed, and continued. "Have you ever wondered why Von Rosa is the only vampire around here?"

"Yeah, I guess. But doesn't that mean he's got an entire village of people to himself?" she said. "He kidnaps them and drinks their blood? Then they die?"

"Right," Daniel replied. "That's why nobody ever comes up here, not even for a dare," Andrea blushed. Daniel smiled at her and went on. "Von Rosa is the only vampire around for miles. There are many more, don't get me wrong, but they stay away from Von Rosa. He's supposed to be evilly insane."

"I don't know why he's insane like this. He's been killing off more than usual lately, and I've even heard him crying in his room. I think he's…" Daniel paused. "_lonely_."

"Are you saying that the evil insane vampire that tried to kill me and Hannah is LONELY?" asked Andrea, astonished. "That's it? He's bored?"

"There's a lot more to that, that even I don't understand, but," Daniel paused again. "You're in danger. He's going to…" Daniel was interrupted by Von Rosa silently appearing in the room and kicking the boy. Daniel fell over, and nearly cut himself on a sword that was lying around.

Andrea leaned over Daniel. "Quick, tell me now, before Von Rosa takes me away!" She practically screamed. But Daniel was unconscious. He had hit his head on the stone floor pretty hard, and was still breathing, but he couldn't hear Andrea's desperate voice. Andrea grabbed the sword next to Daniel, turned around, and tried to stab Von Rosa with it. He laughed.

"A teenage girl is going to try and kill a vampire?" he said. "Oh no, I'm going to die!" he added sarcastically. Then he grabbed the sword from Andrea and stuck it through his heart. Andrea screamed, staring at the cut. The long sword stuck out through Von Rosa's back, but no blood came out. He grabbed the gold handle encrusted with emeralds, and pulled it out cleanly.

"It's very hard to kill a vampire, considering the fact that I'm already DEAD!" He laughed insanely.


	7. Chapter 7

WARNING: this chapter contains blood and stuff. NOT INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO BARF EASILY. However, if you enjoy horror or barfing, go ahead and continue. I'm using a couple things from the Cirque Du Freak series here, like their healing spit and vampire powers. Just a warning and stuff.

This is probably one of the most disgusting things I've written. I don't write too much nasty stuff like this but I like it, for my first try.

Chapter Seven:

Andrea's eyes widened, staring at the sword Von Rosa pulled out from his chest. His wild laughter rang through the room like a church bell. Andrea nearly felt her heart stop as Von Rosa's laughter slowed down and stopped.

"Now, who wants to go on another one of our little visits?" Von Rosa asked, still smiling. "We could go see Hannah again, visit the demons, transform you…"

"What?" Andrea blinked. "Rewind…did you say _transform_? Yeah, because I don't really need to be transformed, I'm fine the way I am, really…" Von Rosa grabbed Andrea's wrist. Immediately, a surge of pain rushed through Andrea's arm, tearing from her arm to her legs to her head. Andrea winced in pain and fell upon the grimy silver floor. Daniel was five or six feet away from her, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. Andrea stared at his face, ignoring the pain flowing through her veins, until Von Rosa let go. He picked her up by the collar of her shirt, ripping the back halfway down. She could hear tiny threads snap as she rose off the ground.

"No," Von Rosa said. "I think you'll make a fine vampiress." Andrea's breath caught in her throat. She coughed, made a hacking sound, and gasped.

"V-v-vampiress?" Andrea stammered. Von Rosa smiled and nodded. He dragged her by the collar past the tall silver door and down the dingy hallway. Andrea stared at Daniel's face one last time before the iron door closed by itself. Warm tears rolled down her face again, dripping onto the dusty floor. Von Rosa's tough nails dug into her skin and shirt. Andrea thought she felt hot blood being absorbed into the shirt as she was dragged onwards. Her broken leg got caught in several spiderwebs along the way. A small, brown spider crawled up her shirt and onto her shoulder. If Andrea didn't know any better, she would have thought it pitied her. On and on through the dimly lit halls she was dragged, periodically staring at the unwelcoming stone walls. The spider flew off her shoulder as they turned a sharp corner. Von Rosa's eyes gleamed brighter red than usual, with a hunger she had never seen in them before. After several minutes, Von Rosa dragged Andrea upright and began to push her through the halls. They climbed up stone staircases that seemed to spiral into space, then down eerie passageways behind tapestries that hung on several walls. Andrea knew there was no way she'd find her way out of here, let alone find Hannah and bring her out as well.

An hour passed, and Von Rosa finally reached his destination. He grabbed Andrea again, more impatiently this time, and threw her into yet another room in his vast castle. This room had no door, only a curtain of midnight black in the doorway. Once inside, Andrea blinked drowsily. A long window that reached the ceiling showed that it was almost sunrise. She noticed the village down below, and wondered what her parents and her brother were doing down there. Von Rosa threw Andrea into a corner of the room and closed the black curtain over the window. Andrea slowly turned her achy head, and noticed several coffins in the room. One was made of polished maple wood that gleamed in the torchlight of the room. Another was made of marble, with a plaque that read "Von Rosa" on it in fancy calligraphic letters. A third was woven with twigs, like a basket, with newspaper lining the inside to prevent splinters. The last one was standing upright against a wall. It was made of a dark shiny wood, with red velvet lining the inside. It was heavily polished, and had several pillows inside as red as Von Rosa's eyes. A table sat at the opposite corner of the room, with several glass goblets and bottles of scarlet blood. Andrea felt sick staring at them, and turned her eyes toward Von Rosa, who was standing over her.

Von Rosa spoke words in a tongue that Andrea could not understand. He stared unblinkingly at Andrea, into her deep brown eyes. He raised his hand, and Andrea stood reluctantly on her broken leg. She had no control over her body. She couldn't blink, move, and barely even breathe. Pain rushed through her body again, only multiplied in strength. Her heart slowed down, until it barely beat at all. Von Rosa mumbled some more words, and Andrea slowly stepped toward the coffin standing upright. She stood about a foot away from it, and stopped. Her brain seemed to work slightly now.

_Fight it, Andrea, Fight it. _she told herself. _You don't want to go around sucking blood forever, do you? _Her head throbbed. Her heart sped up slightly. Von Rosa's words grew louder, and his eyes stared harder into her own. But she could not pull her gaze away. He was too powerful. Another twinge of pain soared through her blood, as if she was on fire.

_For an insane vampire he sure is powerful. _Andrea thought. _I'm not going to make it… but I have to… _Andrea clenched her teeth. But Von Rosa was indeed stronger. She fell backward into the coffin, nearly stumbling over her own broken leg. The pain increased, and Andrea wanted to scream. But she couldn't. Von Rosa still had power over her. Stepping backwards, Von Rosa reached the table and found a goblet. He opened his mouth wider, revealing long fangs like a python's. He raised his hand and made a long cut across it with his teeth. Black blood oozed out, falling into the glass. Andrea felt sick.

When the glass was about a quarter of the way full, Von Rosa stepped toward Andrea. He spat on his hand again, and the cut closed up immediately. Andrea's eyes widened. Pain rushed through her body, flowing through her arms and legs, and up and down her spine. Von Rosa smiled, and pushed the goblet to her lips. It smelled like something that had been rotting for centuries. Andrea cringed slightly. Her body shivered with pain. Von Rosa muttered a few more words and Andrea's mouth unwillingly opened.

_No, anything but this! _she wanted to scream. But she could barely think. _I can't, I won't…Never…_

But the power over her was stronger. The icy blood gushed down her throat, tasting like glue. The pain grew, until it was unbearable. She coughed, desperately trying to scream for help, to no benefit. She had swallowed the vampire blood.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everybody! I actually like my last chapter. Yay! Anywho, the next chapter should have the stuff kind of from the Cirque Du Freak series, like their aging rate, the tougher nails they have to chew to keep short, etc., plus some other vampire-like features. It should also be coming closer to the thing at the introduction, so this will all make sense soon… I CONTROL THE STORY! MUAHAHAHA! Sorry, I've gone insane-er than usual today, with the new Harry Potter movie comin' out…

Chapter Eight:

Andrea blinked. The pain vanished from her body. It was replaced by a feeling of being pulled on each arm and leg between two small children: not painful, but slightly uncomfortable. She was no longer under Von Rosa's power, now that it was complete. Von Rosa smiled.

Andrea felt different. She looked down. Her skin was much paler than usual. Her fingernails had grown, and turned somewhat darker. Andrea rushed out of the coffin, nearly knocking over Von Rosa. She ran through the hallway, frantically looking through every room for a mirror. Von Rosa followed her silently.

After what felt like hours, Andrea found a mirror. It was dusty, and reached from floor to ceiling. It was bordered in a gold frame, and encrusted with rubies. Andrea stepped up to the mirror, wondering if she would be seen in it, now that she was a vampire. She walked up to it, worried. To her relief, her image was still there. However, it was not the Andrea she thought she'd see. She could see her hair growing, until it reached her waistline. It flowed down gracefully, slightly greasier than usual, like a waterfall made of the midnight sky. Her face looked the same, besides the paler skin. Her clothes looked worse than she realized, being torn up, singed, and soaked with blood. But what really scared her were her eyes. They were blood red, and gleamed in the moonlight. Her pupils were stretching into long black slits, like a cat's.

"The sun's coming up," said Von Rosa, finally. Andrea touched the mirror, a single tear falling from her scarlet eyes. "You're going to want to get to sleep before you die a slow and painful death from the sun."

Andrea was furious. "You've ruined my life!" she yelled. "Now I'll never be able to see my family again, my best friend is left to die in a dungeon, my parents have no idea where I am, and I'm stuck for an eternity killing people and sucking their blood! I hate you! You're a filthy murderer! Now I'm stuck here! Just leave me alone!"

Andrea gasped. She sank to her knees and sobbed heavily. Burying her face in her hands, her cries echoed eerily through the castle. Von Rosa stepped toward her, placing a cold hand on her shaky shoulder. Andrea looked up, still crying.

"You'll get used to it here, I know you will," Von Rosa said considerately. "Mood swings are one of the first signs of turning into a vampire. You may go from angry, to depressed, to excited, to any other emotion. You'll get used to it, and I can show you the entire castle, and then maybe…" He stopped, and continued. "Never mind. I'll take you to the coffin room, and I'll wake you in the evening."

Von Rosa stood up, and extended his hand. Andrea stood up, but didn't take it. She followed Von Rosa through a hallway and back through the curtains. The window showed the sky turning a pinkish orange color. Almost sunrise. Von Rosa laid down the dark coffin from the wall and summoned Andrea to it. Unhurriedly, Andrea stepped towards the coffin. She didn't want to, but she also didn't want to kill herself…at least not now.

Von Rosa leapt over to his coffin. He laid himself inside, smiled at Andrea, then got out again.

"One moment," he said. He ran at an unachievable rate. He came back seconds later with Daniel, conscious but still dazed. Von Rosa laid him on top of the woven coffin.

"Daniel!" Andrea shouted. She forgot her anger and sadness for a moment, leaping next to Daniel. "Dan, are you…?"

He shook away the dizziness from his head. "I'm okay," he gasped. Andrea sighed.

"Good. But, that's not what I was going to ask. I was going to ask you," she paused. "Are you a vampire?"

Dan looked at her curiously. Finally, he gasped, "Yes."

Andrea felt her crimson eyes watering. She smiled, and hugged Dan. Dan looked shocked at first, but then hugged her back. The hug lasted about a minute until Von Rosa imitated throwing up.

"Ewww… love. It's disgusting," he said. "Daniel, it's already sunrise. Get to sleep. You too, Andrea." He nodded at Andrea.

They all stepped inside their coffins, Daniel got the one woven with twigs and newspaper, Andrea in her dark, pillowed coffin, and Von Rosa in the marble. Andrea's coffin had a door split through the center, so she could sit up in her coffin without the entire door closing on top of her. Pulling the bottom door closed, she began to cry again, thinking of how her parents used to tuck her in at night, and the soft lullabies her mother would sing to her when she younger, and afraid of the raging thunderstorms at night. Andrea sobbed softly into her velvet pillow, and closed the top door. The only sound in the castle was the creaky hinges of their coffins and the stillness of the dank air.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey it's up! And really late, I'm sorry! Just be happy and don't hunt me down. This one's gonna show her first day as a vampire (obviously). THIS is the chapter that shows some stuff like the Cirque Du Freak series, like what vampires can do and half-vampires can do. BTW, I got the 10th CDF book for Christmas! SIGNED BY DARREN SHAN HIMSELF! Sorry I just had to scream that out somewhere. So… okay ignore me and get on with the story.

Chapter Nine:

It took a while for Andrea to fall asleep. Her coffin made her a little stiff, plus she knew her life would be drastically changed. Andrea laid in her coffin constantly thinking about Hannah, and what would happen to her. Would she become a vampire too? Would she rot in that dungeon for all eternity? Or could she persuade Von Rosa in letting her go? All this thinking made Andrea finally drift off to sleep.

The next night, Andrea was awoken by a sharp rapping on her coffin door. She stirred, and wearily opened her eyes.

"What?" she said, a little agitated. "Can't I go back to sleep?"

She heard Dan laugh. "No, you can't," he said. "We have some work to do."

Andrea pushed open the top of her coffin. Von Rosa's coffin sat in the corner opened. The vampire was gone from the room. Dan stood before her with a silver tray and a glass of blood. Andrea stared at him, disgusted.

"Do I have to drink that stuff? It's disgusting." Dan laughed at her.

"You'll have to if you want to live," he replied. "It tastes a lot better than vampire blood, trust me. Besides, you're only a half-vampire. You don't have to drink that much. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of things different from half vamps and full vampires."

Andrea looked at him curiously. "Like what?"

Dan smiled, and told her that half-vamps could move around during the day, and that they didn't have to drink much blood. Her senses were a lot sharper. Her eyes and fangs could change back to her normal human form, but she'd still be a vampire, not fully human. Her hair would grow quickly, but she could cut it how she liked (she sighed, thankful. She wasn't a fan of really long hair). He told her about flitting, a super-fast way of running only full vampires could do, a special knock-out gas vampires used on their victims, and the special way they sucked blood.

Andrea listened intently. Daniel gave her the glass of blood, and smiled weakly. Andrea took it, but did not drink it.

"Can't it wait?" she asked.

Dan smiled again. "No," he said simply. Andrea grimaced, and drank the blood slowly. It did taste better than vampire blood. It was warm and salty, kind of like saltwater, but less bitter. She drank the entire glass and licked her lips.

"It wasn't too bad, I guess," she said. Dan had told her that she wouldn't need blood for a while, like three or four weeks from now. She still had to eat food however.

Dan opened the second half of her coffin and led her down several more hallways and corridors. He stopped at a familiar blank wall.

"We're not supposed to be here," he said. "But I can see in your eyes that we must." He took her hand and walked through the wall. The same liquid feeling she had earlier flowed around her. When they were at the other side of the cold stone wall, Andrea gasped.

Hannah laid in the dungeon, filthier than ever. She was asleep. Her clothes were still a little torn (not as bad as Andrea's were now). Andrea's mind drifted back to the first time she came here. Her leg was broken not two days ago, and her neck was seriously bleeding. She could remember how hard it was to breathe, and seeing Hannah inches from death. Andrea sank to her knees next to Hannah, and softly shook her shoulder.

"Hannah? Hannah wake up," she murmured. Hannah blinked. Her blue eyes shone in the moonlight through the top of the dungeon. Suddenly, Hannah snapped. She stood up and scurried to the other side of the room.

"V-v-vampires…" she stuttered. She pointed at Andrea and Daniel. "I-I thought…can-t b-be…" Andrea stared at her. Tears welled up in her eyes. She stepped toward Hannah.

"Hannah, it's me, Andrea," she whispered. "I'm your best friend, remember?" She turned to Dan. "How do I change to my human form?"

Dan closed his eyes. His skin grew paler, his gray shirt turned black, and a black leather coat seemed to grow out of the shirt around his body and arms. His ripped black pants mended themselves, and black boots appeared at his feet. He looked like a teenage Von Rosa. Opening his eyes, Andrea saw that they were exactly the same as hers. Hannah began to scream, until Dan held his hand over her mouth. Hannah shook her head, but Daniel held a firm grip.

Andrea stared at both of them. She closed her eyes, thinking hard. Suddenly, her hair shortened to its usual length, her eyes changed to their usual dark gray, and her fangs shortened to her normal-sized teeth. Hannah's eyes widened, and she muttered a full sentence.

"I-I thought I was hallucinating," she said. "Now I know I am." Andrea stepped toward her.

"You're not seeing things," she said in a comforting tone. "This is the awful truth." She hugged Hannah. Hannah shoved her down. Andrea's face hit the stone floor for what felt like the millionth time in the past two days. Hannah kicked Andrea hard in the ribs.

"You're not really Andrea," she said hotly. "You're just some blood-sucking traitor who pretended to really be my friend! You planned this, didn't you? You always wanted to watch all those stupid horror movies with me, when you know I was afraid of them. So now you think it'd be amusing to put me in one, is that what you think, you lying little freak! I never should have trusted you, you… you…" Hannah paused for breath. "I hate you. I hate all of you! You and your kind! Let me out of here! I want to go home! I never want to see you again!"

Andrea was shocked. She had never seen Hannah so furious. That moment, the wall rippled. Dan turned around.

"Well, well, what have we here? Two little half vampires with my prisoner? Surely you'd know better than this, especially you Daniel…"

Andrea, Dan, and Hannah stared as Von Rosa entered the dungeon. Hannah looked queasy. Dan looked apprehensive. Andrea's face looked blank. Von Rosa grabbed the two half vampires by their shirt collars. Andrea's ribs hurt again, and she felt her feet leave the ground. Looking to the left she saw Dan had been lifted onto Von Rosa's shoulder. Hannah stared.

"Hannah, please, listen to me! I'm your friend! Von Rosa's transformed me, but I'm really still your friend! Help me, please!" Andrea cried.

Von Rosa rolled his eyes. "Oh, boo-hoo, your fwend doesn't wike you anymore," he said in a babyish voice. "Your life's a soap opera, woe is me." He laughed nastily, and dragged them through the dungeon wall. Hannah stared, confused and helpless, as she caught another glimpse at Andrea's weeping face.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi everybody! Sorry for updating soooooooooo slooooooooooooooowly….. I wish the next two CDF books (11 and 12) would come out in America… Darren Shan's suspense is killing me! In this chapter, you meet the winged-thing from Chapter five again! Woohoo! Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Chapter Ten:

Von Rosa carried Andrea and Dan through the dungeon wall once more. For a moment, Andrea thought she heard a dull thud as if someone tried to run into a solid brick wall. She stared at the spot where the dungeon opened, hoping to see Hannah walking through, but nothing happened. Von Rosa heaved both half vampires over his shoulder effortlessly once more.

"Meddling half vamps have to be dealt with early, otherwise they'll grow up to be bad grown up vampires," said Von Rosa harshly. "We wouldn't want bad vampires now, would we?" He snickered, and walked faster. Andrea's stomach dug into Von Rosa's shoulder with every step. Dan rolled his eyes and sighed. Apparently this wasn't his first time in trouble. _It's okay, _Dan mouthed silently. _You'll get used to it. _Andrea's face fell. What IT was, she didn't know, at least not yet.

She decided to change back to her vampire form, since it was stronger and didn't deal with pain as much as her human side did. But as she closed her eyes and pictured her scarlet eyes and snake-like fangs, a sharp pain went through her head. Everything went black for a moment. Andrea blinked, and the stone corridors, Von Rosa, and Dan appeared again.

"Always getting into trouble," said Von Rosa. "When I punish half vampires, I want them to be in as much pain as possible." He was holding his sun amulet to Andrea's forehead. The ruby changed from deep red to a fiery orange.

Dan's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" he cried. "I've been with you almost a year and you've never used that amulet on me. What's it for? Don't you dare try to harm her!" He grew worried. Andrea stared at him. She felt dizzy, and suddenly a little weaker. Von Rosa stopped. He glared at Dan, and threw him to the ground.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions, boy!" he growled. "Can't you see what I'm doing? After spending a year as my servant I would expect you to know a bit more about your superior. This amulet is my most precious possession. It has been handed down, vampire to vampire, ever since the first vampire. Signore Lucius, was created! This amulet is the source of all vampire power! It can do whatever I want it to do, within reason. I could make you a full vampire right now with it, if I wanted to. It'd be a very long and painful process, but it would work. I could even…" He stopped. "Well, I shouldn't really be telling you this, since you're not full vampires. Shall we press on?"

He picked up Dan again, and this time flitted down the hallway. He ran at first, and a slight jog, and sped up a bit. The walls and floor seemed to fly past them, even though Von Rosa did not seem to be moving that quickly. Within seconds, the three arrived at another door. This door was painted an odd purple color, with paint peeling off around it. The handle was rusty, although it looked quite fancy. Von Rosa turned the knob quickly and threw the half vampires in, shutting the door faster than a normal human could. Since Andrea was in her human form, this wasn't a very pleasant experience, especially with this being about the millionth time in two days. Dan stared at Andrea.

"It's not that bad of a punishment, you get used to it very quickly when you cause Von Rosa as much grief as I do," said Dan. He didn't look quite as calm as his words were, but he didn't look nearly as frightened as Andrea. The two looked around the room. Or, rather, tried. The room was almost pitch-black. The only source of light was far away, at what seemed the end of a corridor. Andrea stood up, putting her arms in front of her, searching for Dan in the dark. Andrea tripped over something, which she discovered was a human skull. Andrea screamed and dropped it as if it was as hot as a burning match. Shuddering, she found Dan's hand, and grasped it tightly.

"What IS that amulet he always wears?" asked Andrea confusedly. "How come he's using it on me? It hurt almost as much as my vampire transformation did! What's it for? And what exactly is our punishment? For your information, I just got here yesterday!"

Dan stared at her. Andrea could see the light reflecting in his red eyes. "Hello?" she said. "Are you listening?" Dan stared some more. Andrea waved a hand in front of his face.

"RUN!" he cried, and grabbed her wrist, frantically trying to pull her to her feet. Since he was still in vampire form, he ran a lot faster than she did, and literally was dragging her through the dark room. Andrea tried speaking, but saw no need to after seeing what was in pursuit of them.

A dark shadow, about the size of a mini van was quickly darting after them. In the darkness of the room, Andrea could make out what looked like eight beady eyes. Dan ran faster, apparently trying to flit, but to no use. Andrea's knees bounced along the cold, bone-littered floors.

"This isn't your usual punishment, I suppose?" said Andrea half-jokingly. Dan almost stopped dead in his tracks. The shadowy figure found its chance, and sprung up into the air. Dan's eyes shone in the dim light. For a moment Andrea thought she saw the same flicker in his eyes that Von Rosa had when he had chained her in the dungeon.

"MOVE!" he shouted. He shoved Andrea fiercely to the other side, slamming her straight into a wall. Andrea stared in horror as the shadowed creature shot down like an arrow, straight toward Dan.


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, I lied. Change of story plot, the winged thing will come in later in the story. Sorry for semi-spoiling it. And, to get more reviews and to stop people from bugging me, I moved my story to the Darren Shan Saga category. I only put it under Cirque Du Freak because I…I really don't know why. SO STOP YELLING AT ME FOR PUTTING MY STORY IN A SMALLER CATEGORY! -- Picky, picky, picky. Alright, on with the chapter!

Chapter Eleven:

The beast dove at Dan, gathering speed. But Dan was quicker. Using his half-vampire speed, he leapt to the side of the monster, avoiding its thick, hairy body. The creature clawed Dan in his side, causing him to bleed terribly. Andrea stared at him and rushed to his aid.

"Oh, damn," said Dan. His side was badly bleeding. His hands were covered with the blood that came out. Andrea gasped. "It's coming again!" she shouted suddenly.

The monster dove once more at the two of them. This time, Dan was ready. He pulled back his fist, ready to strike. But he never got his chance. Something else was moving in the corridor, and it flew straight into the eight-eyed creature's back, plowing it into the stony floor. Andrea couldn't see anything now. She heard loud screeching sounds, but couldn't tell who or what it was coming from. The bones crunched and echoed throughout the hall as the monsters fought. Without warning, the door to the corridor opened. The entire room lit up again, stinging Andrea's eyes.

The monster lay dying before her. It had eight spindly legs, eight pitch black eyes, and a large furry body. Apparently, it was a giant spider. There was a humongous gash on its chest that pumped blood rapidly. The spider's legs twitched slightly, making its way toward death. The creature that flew in and saved Andrea and Dan was missing, maybe it wasn't even there at all. Andrea scanned the room confusedly, looking for the hero, but finding no one but Dan trying to heal his wound. Andrea rushed over to Dan.

"D-does it hurt?" she stammered. Dan looked at her awkwardly, as if to say, "No, duh."

Andrea bit her lip. "You know you can't use that healing spit you told me about, we're only half-vampires."

Dan ignored her and hastily spat on his wound. He bit back a cry of pain. "I'm okay," he said. "I won't die. It just really, really stings…" Andrea stood up. She offered her hand, which Dan used to stand up. The two of them walked slowly towards the door.

"I thought you said that your usual punishment wasn't that bad!" Andrea cried after several silent minutes. "You said you'd get used to it!"

"If that was my usual punishment I'd be dead right now!" Dan replied irritably. "Of course that's not my usual discipline, you don't need a detective to figure that out!" He let go of Andrea's hand. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know why any of this is going on. All I know is that this all has something to do with you. You and Von Rosa. Man, he's really just a fu-"

"I'm really just a what, Daniel?" came Von Rosa's voice. Dan tripped and fell to the floor. Andrea spun around and found herself eye to eye with Von Rosa. "Were you going to say I was a terribly enjoyable gentleman with extraordinary genius, because if you were going to say otherwise," he held up his amulet. "You may end sooner than you think." He grinned maliciously, that evil grin Andrea still wasn't used to seeing. "Daniel, get to work, and take Andrea with you." Von Rosa strode away gallantly, while Andrea's teeth chattered in fear. Dan stood up, making sure he didn't touch his wound.

"Come on, let's go," said Dan. "At least we won't have to deal with any more monsters." Andrea rolled her eyes. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, like a mother about to yell at her son. "Right, I've only encountered, like, a thousand monsters in the past two days," said Andrea sarcastically. "There's NO WAY I'll meet up with any more…"

"All right, all right," replied Daniel. "I was just being optimistic. No need to point out the obvious…" Daniel smiled. Andrea smiled too, and for the first time in a long while, Andrea felt safe. She took Dan's hand and strode down the hall toward the kitchens, to find something to eat. Little did she know someone was watching her…


End file.
